'No jab no job' Protest

About 200 or more employees gathered today at Waigani to express frustration on the imposition of the City Commission on the employees getting the COVID-19 vaccination.

A very senior employee, former Coordinator of Betelnut Control Secretariat, Honk Kiap said that they have visited other government agencies and department, they did not witness so much fuss about getting vaccination but demanded that testing facilities are provided. However, he said with NCDC, it is very different.

Student representatives in Lae expressed their dissatisfaction at the Prime Minister’s response in Parliament yesterday when he was asked about the implementation of mandatory vaccination by certain companies.

During Parliament’s September 7^th session, West New Britain Regional MP, Sasindran Muthuvel, asked Prime Minister James Marape to clarify the government’s stance on the “No jab, no job” policy.

Lae MP and Lands Minister, John Rosso, made this clarification when receiving the three-point petition from the PNG University of Technology students.

“There’s a little bit of misinformation,” he told students.

“I’m part of cabinet and we never said that the vaccine is mandatory. Mipla no tok olsem.

The students, who were joined by staff members, walked around their Taraka campus this morning, chanting ‘My country, my choice! Make vaccine optional!’

After their walk, the students gathered around the Duncanson Hall, where they received Lae MP, John Rosso, and Morobe Governor, Ginson Saonu.

When presenting their three-point petition, student representative senate member for postgraduates, Bill Lata, said rising unemployment and social disorder are imminent with the implementation of the “no jab, no job” policy.